EVALUATION ESSAYS

IP3 Singapore Studies 2019

Recap:

Part A: Explain Part B: Evaluate

■ Explain questions simply require you to make a link between your point and
whatever issue the question is asking about. There is no need for
evaluation, but there is often some sort of analysis.
■ Evaluation questions require you to make the link AND to make some sort
of judgement at the end.
Sample Practice
The CMIO (Chinese, Malay, Indian, Others) racial categorisation system that Singapore uses is
an "imperfect" one, but “there is a functionality behind it”.
Janil Puthucheary, CMIO racial categorisation 'imperfect, but functional’

The CMIO model ... has helped to create common ground among those of different tongues and
dialects, but it also has had the effect of oversimplifying the diversity that is our social mix.
Ho Kwon Ping, CMIO categorisation a hindrance to cohesive society

How far do you agree that the race classification model (CMIO) has brought about
more benefit than harm to Singapore’s society in recent years? You may use
examples and arguments from your readings, the extracts, your general knowledge
and/or your own experience to help answer this question.
[15]
3
 LORMS
Level Descriptor

L1: 1-3 marks Writes about the topic without addressing the question.
Identify
L2: 4-7 marks Describes the given perspectives with some link to the role of CMIO in
Describe Singapore society. May make some attempt at a one-sided argument,
i.e. CMIO benefits OR harms Singapore society.
L3: 8-11 marks 8-9 marks:
Explain Attempts to explain both sides, i.e. CMIO benefits AND harms
Singapore society. At least one side well-explained, and attempts a
description of the other side without giving a full explanation.
10-11 marks:
Explains both sides well, with detailed examples.
L4: 12-15 marks Higher L3 + weighs both sides, with an evaluation of whether CMIO
Evaluate benefits or harms Singapore society using relevant criteria.
Before writing
1. Break down the question. What does the question want you to
do? Given factor

How far do you agree that the race classification model (CMIO) has brought about more
benefit than harm to Singapore’s society in recent years? You may use examples and
arguments from your readings, the extracts, your general knowledge and/or your own
experience to help answer this question. [15]

Impacts:
Benefit – positive impact
Harm – negative impact
Context
This is an impacts-type question.
It wants you to evaluate the impacts of the CMIO
model on Singapore society and take a stand as to
whether impacts are mainly positive or negative.
Before writing
2. Read the prompts. What perspectives might they represent, and what
can you do with them?

The CMIO (Chinese, Malay, Indian, Others) racial categorisation system that Singapore uses is
an "imperfect" one, but “there is a functionality behind it”.
Janil Puthucheary, CMIO racial categorisation 'imperfect, but functional’

The CMIO model ... has helped to create common ground among those of different tongues
and dialects, but it also has had the effect of oversimplifying the diversity that is our social
mix.
Ho Kwon Ping, CMIO categorisation a hindrance to cohesive society
Before writing
2. Read the prompts. What perspectives might they represent, and what
can you do with them? In support of CMIO: it is functional (what is its function?)

The CMIO (Chinese, Malay, Indian, Others) racial categorisation system that Singapore uses is
an "imperfect" one, but “there is a functionality behind it”.
Janil Puthucheary, CMIO racial categorisation 'imperfect, but functional’

Is this the function of CMIO?

The CMIO model ... has helped to create common ground among those of different tongues
and dialects, but it also has had the effect of oversimplifying the diversity that is our social
mix.
Ho Kwon Ping, CMIO categorisation a hindrance to cohesive society
Before writing
2. Read the prompts. What perspectives might they represent, and what
can you do with them?

The CMIO (Chinese, Malay, Indian, Others) racial categorisation system that Singapore uses is
an "imperfect" one, but “there is a functionality behind it”.
Janil Puthucheary, CMIO racial categorisation 'imperfect, but functional’
Criticising CMIO: How is it “imperfect”?

The CMIO model ... has helped to create common ground among those of different tongues
and dialects, but it also has had the effect of oversimplifying the diversity that is our social
mix.
Ho Kwon Ping, CMIO categorisation a hindrance to cohesive society
That’s pretty imperfect. How does it oversimplify the diversity?
Before writing
■ You now have your two sides of the argument! You just need to develop them into
two separate paragraphs and link them to positive/negative impacts.

In support of CMIO, it serves a In criticism of CMIO, it is

function. flawed.

The function is to create It oversimplifies the diversity

common ground (and so? What
are the impacts of this? - from
your own knowledge in lessons,
to prevent a return to ethnic
enclaves)
of our society (and so? How
does it impact society? - by
enabling stereotyping and
casual racism, from your
own knowledge)
Evaluation: what criteria to use?
Sample criteria:

￮ Scale: A is more important than B

because of the scale of its impact…
Urgency: A is more important than B
￮
because of its urgency... Which of these are
￮ Time: A is more important than B relevant to
because of how long its impact will be
felt… evaluating impact?
￮ Root factor: A is more important than B
because A leads to B
Evaluation: what criteria to use?
Sample criteria:

￮ Scale: A is more important than B

because of the scale of its impact…
Urgency: A is more important than B
￮
because of its urgency... Which of these are
￮ Time: A is more important than B relevant to
because of how long its impact will be
felt… evaluating impact?
￮ Root factor: A is more important than B
because A leads to B
Evaluation: what criteria to use?
Applying to the question:

Scale: A is more important than B because of Scale: CMIO has brought more benefit than
the scale of its impact… harm because it has prevented the racial riots
seen in the past and brought stability to the
nation. In comparison, the negative impacts
seem relatively minor and can be solved…

Time: A is more important than B because of Time: CMIO has brought more harm than
how long its impact will be felt… benefit because in the long term, it cultivates
a society where casual racism is the norm…